Official 3x3 Basketball
Rules – Short Version
August 2019
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The latest published Official 3x3 Basketball Rules are valid for all game situations not specifically mentioned in this
short version of the Official 3x3 Basketball Rules herein and the Official Interpretations thereto.
1. Court and Ball
1.1. The game will be played on a 3x3 playing court with 1 basket. A regular 3x3 playing court is 15 m (width) x 11
m (length). The court shall have a regular basketball playing court sized zone, including a free throw line (5.80
m), a 2-point line (6.75 m) and a “no-charge semi-circle” area underneath the basket. Half of a traditional
basketball court may be used.
1.2. A 3x3 ball shall be used in all categories.
Note:
1. At grassroots level, 3x3 can be played anywhere; court markings – if any are used – shall be adapted to the
available space; however FIBA 3x3 Official Competitions must fully comply with the above specifications
including backstops with the shot clock integrated in the backstop padding.
2. FIBA 3x3 Official Competitions are the Olympic Tournaments, 3x3 World Cups (incl. U23 and U18), Zone Cups
(incl. U17), U23 Nations League, the 3x3 World Tour, 3x3 Challengers and the 3x3 Women´s Series.
2. Teams
Each team shall consist of no more than 4 players (3 players on the court and 1 substitute).
Note: Coaches on the field of play including seats for substitutes and/or remote coaching from outside the court are
not allowed.
3. Game Officials
The game shall be managed by up to 2 officials, 3 table officials and a sports supervisor, if any.
Note: Article 3 does not apply to grassroots events.
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4. Beginning of the Game
4.1. Both teams shall warm-up simultaneously prior to the game.
4.2. A coin flip shall determine which team gets the first possession. The team that wins the coin flip can either
choose to benefit from the ball possession at the beginning of the game or at the beginning of a potential
overtime.
4.3. The game cannot begin if one of the teams is not on the playing court with 3 players ready to play.
Note: Article 4.3 shall not be mandatory for grassroots events.
5. Scoring
5.1. Every shot from inside the arc (1-point field goal area) shall be awarded 1 point.
5.2. Every shot from behind the arc (2-point field goal area) shall be awarded 2 points.
5.3. Every successful free throw shall be awarded 1 point.
6. Playing Time/Winner of a Game
6.1. The regular playing time shall be 1 period of 10 minutes. The game clock shall be stopped during dead ball
situations and free throws. The game clock shall be restarted when:
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During a check-ball, the ball is at the disposal of the offensive player after the check-ball has been
completed.
After a successful last free throw, the next offensive team is in possession of the ball.
After an unsuccessful last free throw and the ball continues to be live, the ball touches or is touched by
any player on the playing court.
6.2. The first team to score 21 points or more wins the game if it happens before the end of regular playing time.
This “sudden death” rule applies to the regular playing time only (not to a potential overtime).
6.3. If the score is tied at the end of regular playing time, an overtime shall be played. There shall be an interval of
1 minute before the overtime starts. The first team to score 2 points in the overtime wins the game.
6.4. A team shall lose the game by forfeit if at the scheduled starting time of the game the team is not present on
the playing court with 3 players ready to play. In case of a forfeit, the game score is marked with w-0 or 0-w
(“w” standing for win). For the winning team this game result shall not be considered when calculating the
team´s average score while for the losing team this game result shall be considered with 0 points when
calculating the team´s average score. A team shall be disqualified from the competition after its second forfeit
or in case of no-show.
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6.5. A team shall lose the game by default if it leaves the court before the end of the game or all the players of the
team are injured and/or disqualified. In case of a default situation, the winning team may choose to keep its
score as it stands or to have the game forfeited, whilst the defaulting team's score is set to 0 in any case. In
case of a default where the winning team choses to have the game forfeited, the game result shall not be
considered when calculating the team´s average score.
6.6. . A team losing by default or a tortuous forfeit shall be disqualified from the competition.
Notes:
1. If a game clock is not available, the running time’s length and/or required points for “sudden death” is at the
organizer’s discretion. FIBA recommends setting the score limit in line with the game’s duration (10 minutes/10
points; 15 minutes/15 points; 21 minutes/21 points).
2. Article 6.4 shall not be mandatory for grassroots events.
7. Fouls/Free Throws
7.1. A team is in a penalty situation after it has committed 6 fouls. Players are not excluded based on the number
of personal fouls subject to Art. 16
7.2. If the foul is committed on a player in the act of shooting, that player shall be awarded a number of free throws
as follows:
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If the shot released from the field goal area is successful, the goal shall count and, in addition, 1 free throw.
2 free throws shall be awarded as of the 7th team foul.
If the shot released from inside the arc is unsuccessful, 1 free throw. 2 free throws shall be awarded as of
the 7th team foul.
If the shot released from behind the arc is unsuccessful, 2 free throws.
7.3. Unsportsmanlike and disqualifying fouls are counted as 2 fouls for team fouls purposes. The first
unsportsmanlike foul of a player shall be penalized with 2 free throws, but no ball possession. All disqualifying
fouls (including the second unsportsmanlike of a player) shall be penalized with 2 free throws and ball
possession.
7.4. Team fouls 7, 8 and 9 shall always be penalized with 2 free throws. Team foul 10 and any subsequent team
fouls shall be penalized with 2 free throws and ball possession. This clause is applied also to unsportsmanlike
fouls and to fouls on the act of shooting and overrules Art. 7.2 and 7.3 but shall not be applied to technical
fouls.
7.5. All technical fouls shall be always penalized with 1 free throw. The free throw shall be administered
immediately. After the free throw, the check-ball shall be administered by the team which had control of the
ball or was entitled to the ball when the technical foul was called. The game shall be resumed as follows:
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If the technical foul was committed by a defensive player, the shot clock for the opponents shall be reset
to 12 seconds.
If the technical foul was committed by the offensive team, the shot clock for that team shall continue from
the time it was stopped.
Note: An offensive foul shall not be penalized with free throws.
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8. How the Ball is played
8.1. Following each successful field goal or last free throw (except those followed by ball possession):
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A player from a non-scoring team shall resume the game by dribbling or passing the ball from inside the
court directly underneath the basket (not from behind the end line) to a place on the court behind the arc.
The defensive player is not allowed to play for the ball in the “no-charge semi-circle area” underneath the
basket.
8.2. Following each unsuccessful field goal or last free throw (except those followed by ball possession):
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If the offensive player rebounds the ball, he may continue to attempt to score without returning the ball
behind the arc.
If the defensive player rebounds the ball, he must return the ball behind the arc (by passing or dribbling).
8.3. If the defensive team steals or blocks the ball, it must return the ball behind the arc (by passing or dribbling).
8.4. Possession of the ball given to either team following any dead ball situation shall start/resume with a checkball, i.e. an exchange of the ball (between the defensive and the offensive player) behind the arc at the top of
the playing court.
8.5. A player is considered to be “behind the arc” when neither of his feet is inside or on the arc line.
8.6. In the event of a jump ball situation, the game shall be resumed with a check-ball for the last defensive team.
The shot clock shall be reset to 12 seconds.
9. Stalling
9.1. Stalling or failing to play actively (i.e. not attempting to score) shall be a violation.
9.2. If the court is equipped with a shot clock, a team must attempt a shot for a field goal within 12 seconds. The
shot clock shall start as soon as the ball is at the disposal of the offensive player (following the exchange with
the defensive player or after a successful field goal underneath the basket).
9.3. An offensive player, after the ball has been cleared, shall not hold the ball and/or dribble inside the arc with
his back or side to the basket for more than 5 consecutive seconds.
Note: If the court is not equipped with a shot clock and a team is not sufficiently trying to attack the basket, the
officials shall give in the last 5 seconds the offensive team an information on the remaining second by counting them
loudly and signaling them with an extended arm.
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10.Substitutions
Both teams are entitled to request a substitution when the ball becomes dead prior to a check-ball or free throw.
The substitute can enter the game without any prior notice to the officials or table officials while the ball is dead
and the game clock is stopped. The substitutions can only take place behind the endline and require no action
from the officials or table officials.
11. Time-outs
11.1. Each team shall be granted 1 time-out. Any player or substitute can request a time-out when the ball becomes
dead prior to a check-ball or free throw.
11.2. In addition to the teams´ time-outs, in FIBA 3x3 Official Competitions or if so decided by the organizer 2
additional TV time-outs that shall be granted at the first dead ball after the game clock shows 6:59 and 3:59
respectively in all games.
11.3. All time-outs shall last 30 seconds.
12. Use of Video Material
12.1. The officials shall be authorised to use, if available and approved by the sports supervisor of the competition,
if any, an Instant Replay System (IRS) to decide before signing the scoresheet:
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The scorekeeping or any malfunction of the game clock or shot clock at any time during the game.
If a last shot for a field goal at the end of the regular playing time was released on time and/or whether
that shot for a field goal counts for 1 or 2 points.
Any game situation in the last 30 seconds of the regular playing time or the overtime of the game.
To identify the involvement of team members during any act of violence.
A Challenge request by a team as per the applicable provisions of the Official 3x3 Basketball Rules.
12.2. Without prejudice of precedent and by using only the official video and materials, the following can always be
challenged: if last shot for a field goal at the end of the game was released during playing time and/or whether
that shot for a field goal shall count 1 or 2 points.
Note: Note: A Challenge request shall only be possible in the Olympic Games, World Cup (Open category only) and
World Tour as well as if foreseen by the respective competition’s regulations and subject to the IRS availability.
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13. Protest Procedure
13.1. A team may file a protest if its interests have been adversely affected by:
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An error in scorekeeping, time-keeping or shot clock operations, which was not corrected by the officials.
A decision to forfeit, cancel, postpone, not resume or not play the game.
A violation of the applicable eligibility rules.
13.2. In case of a team’s protest, only the official video and materials may be used to take a decision.
13.3. In order to be admissible, a protest shall comply with the following procedure:
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A player of that team shall sign the scoresheet immediately at the end of the game and provide a written
explanation of the protest reasons, on the reverse side of the scoresheet, before the officials have signed
the scoresheet.
A fee of USD 200 shall be applied to each protest and shall be paid in case of the protest is lost.
13.4. The sports supervisor (or a person indicated to in charge of the protest at the Technical Meeting with the teams
on the eve of the event), shall decide on the protest as soon as possible, in any case no later than before the
next pool phase or next elimination round starts. His decision is considered as a field of play rule decision and
is not subject to further review or appeal. Exceptionally, the decisions on the eligibility may be appealed as
provided for in the applicable regulations.
13.5. The sports supervisor (or person indicated to be in charge of the protest at the Technical Meeting with the
teams on the eve of the event) may not decide to change the result of the game unless there is clear and
conclusive evidence that, had it not been for the error that gave rise to the protest, the new result would have
certainly materialised. In case a protest is accepted for reasons other than the eligibility rules and leads to a
change of winner of the game, the game shall be considered as tied at the end of the regular playing time and
an overtime shall be played immediately.
14.Standings of Teams
For both in pools and in overall competition standings (other than standings in tours), the following classification
rules shall apply.
If teams that have reached the same stage of the competition are tied, the steps to break the tie shall be applied in
the following order:
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Most wins (or win ratio in case of unequal number of games in inter-pool comparison).
Head-to-head comparison (only taking win/loss into account and applies within a pool only).
Most points scored in average (without considering winning scores of forfeits).
If teams are still tied after those 3 steps, the team(s) with the highest seeding win(s) the tie-breaker.
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The standings in tours (whereas tours are defined as series of connected tournaments) shall be calculated for
the tours denominator, i.e. either players (if players can create new teams in each tournament) or teams (if
players are bound to one team for the whole tour). The tour standings order is as follows:
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Standings in final event or prior to it, being actually qualified to tour final.
Tour standing points collected for final standings at each tour stop.
Most wins collected in the tour (or win ratio in case of unequal number of games).
Most points scored in average during the tour (without considering winning scores of forfeits).
Seeding for tie-breaking purposes will be a tour seeding done simultaneously with each specific event
seeding.
Irrespectively of tournament size, tour points are awarded in each tour’s tournament for tour standing
purposes:
Tour seedings are done with all the teams participating in a tour irrespectively if they shall play or not at the
next event.
15. Seeding Rules
Teams are seeded correlatively to the team ranking points (sum of the team’s 3 best players ranking points prior
to the competition), except if otherwise foreseen by the competition’s regulations. In case of same team ranking
points, seeding shall be determined randomly prior to the competition.
In national team competitions, seeding shall be done based on the 3x3 Federation Ranking.
16. Disqualification
A player shall be disqualified for the remainder of the game when he is charged with 2 unsportsmanlike fouls. A
player disqualified from the game may be further disqualified from the event by the organizer. Independent
thereof, the organizer shall disqualify player(s) concerned from the event for acts of violence, verbal or physical
aggression, tortuous interference in game results, a violation of FIBA’s Anti-Doping rules (Book 4 of the FIBA Internal
Regulations). The organizer may also disqualify the entire team from the event depending on that team´s other
members' contribution (also through non-action) to the aforementioned behavior. FIBA's right to impose
disciplinary sanctions under the regulatory framework of the event, the Terms and Conditions of play.fiba3x3.com
and the FIBA Internal Regulations remains unaffected by any disqualification under this Art. 16.
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17. Adaption to U12 Categories
The following adaptions to the rules are recommended in U12 categories:
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Insofar possible, the basket may be lowered to 2.60 m.
The first team to score in overtime wins the game.
No shot clock is used. If a team is not sufficiently trying to attack the basket, the officials shall give them
a warning by counting the last 5 seconds.
Penalty situations are not applicable. All fouls are followed by check-ball, except those in act of shooting,
technical fouls and unsportsmanlike fouls.
No time-outs are granted.
Note: The flexibility offered by the note of Art 6. to be discretionally applied as considered convenient.
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